Candy Chiu

Candy Chiu

(Choose another one if you already answered this for Week 5.) Describe one or more of the ways that water, water usage, or water-based industries were already becoming a contested issue in the West in the nineteenth century. For clues and examples, see the documents and essays dealing with mining, irrigation, fishing, and trapping. What were the claims and interests competing for water or water-based resources?

        In the nineteenth century, water is so important in transportation and it is a great development in the West. Especially water helps in the relationship between countries. In order to fish for trading, countries started to find a better sea with rich seafood. Catching fishes on the main river can improve their quantity of trading and selling. “The vast number of nets that are being continually dragged through the water at the canneries on the main river during the fishing season catch millions of full-grown salmon on their way up the river to spawn… (page 262)” It is clearly shown how important can water be and how people use this as a way for living. As salmon were so plentiful, people do not need to worry about their food and surviving as well as maintaining their selling profits. Besides, in order to create healthy and large amount of vegetation, water is essential. Planting near the rivers can enrich the soil to become more fertile and the cash crops can grow better instead of impotent or lack of nutrition. For example, as California was lack of rainfall, it was necessary for them to move their agriculture from fertile soil and dry to San Joaquin River with riverboats. This increased “the number of acres planted in wheat increased from 89563 to 380547. (page 274)” In other words, there had more space to farm with sufficient water supply. Apart from that, hydraulic mining was a helpful invention by using natural materials. By using high-pressure of water to break the rock to find gold, it can help to reduce the labors and also the time taking for mining. “Hydraulic mining, a more capital-intensive and destructive method of unearthing ancient veins of gold, replaced placer mining for continuous operation. (page 272)” Using hydraulic mining can become a long-term mining event and also in a faster speed. Most of the people in the nineteenth century rely on these kinds of ways for developing their society and maintain their own living, and they started to know how to use water well.